


Begin Again

by gayxiao



Category: Compilation of Final Fantasy VII
Genre: M/M, Post-Advent Children (Compilation of FFVII)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-14
Updated: 2020-07-20
Packaged: 2021-03-05 00:21:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,467
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25255339
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gayxiao/pseuds/gayxiao
Summary: Cloud is drawn to Aerith's church and finds a resurrected but very different Sephiroth and turns into a glorified baby-sitter.
Relationships: Sephiroth/Cloud Strife
Comments: 8
Kudos: 27





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hoo boy it's been like 8 years since I posted a fic and even tho I've done it before this feels like my first time posting something ever bc I'm such a different person now. Anyway I'm still figuring out how posting on here works bc I've only used ffn to post and idk what to even tag this as so tags are def gonna change. 
> 
> Also big thank to @mewhoismyself on tumblr for doing the beta reading stuff and helping me brainstorm things.

Aerith's rain had washed away the remnants of Jenova's blight on the planet. On the surface at least, Cloud supposed. He wasn't sure how much it did for the lifestream but at least for the near future, he wouldn't have to worry about Jenova or Sephiroth again. 

Since the rain he hadn't felt the pull that sat in the back of his mind, pulling him towards an unseen destination. He took that as the proof for being forever done with his hero-turned-enemy. For months he was just a normal person with a normal job and normal feelings. Hell, he had even regained some of his light-hearted nature from childhood just from being around the kids, and he wasn't oblivious to the nostalgic look that Tifa would give him when he slipped into those old tendencies. He was happy. 

Then he felt it. 

A pull. 

It wasn't the dark marionette strings that connected him to Jenova, though. They were lighter- gentler. Like his mother was gently encouraging him to go after whatever it was. He ignored it initially, not wanting to disrupt the new equilibrium he'd found. No one seemed to notice the tense way he held his body now, the forced smiles, the regression to his more stoic self. Or if they did they just assumed he was simply mourning their friend on the anniversary of her death- they all grew solemn at that time of the year so why would they assume something more was going on? 

It wasn't until Vincent approached him later that night, after they'd all gone to bed once they shared their stories of what they'd been up to and talked to Aerith as if she were truly there, that he finally had to admit to himself that he was feeling it. Vincent was blunt and cut right to the chase, and Cloud wasn't sure whether he was grateful for that or not. 

"He calls to you," Vincent stated, leaning against the dark wooden door and leveling Cloud with a knowing stare. 

Cloud's jaw clenched, and he crossed his arms over his chest. He refused to make eye contact and cursed Vincent for blocking off the door so he couldn't escape. "Dunno what you're talking about." 

The older man raised an eyebrow. He didn't say anything, didn't move. It made Cloud want to squirm. They stood across from each other for what felt like an eternity before Vincent sighed. 

"I feel it too. There's no need to worry about it being a trap. Or at least not a Jenova trap." 

Cloud whipped his head up and stared at Vincent. "What the hell do you mean? You too?" He shook his head. "The fuck does it mean? Do the others-?"

Vincent shook his head. "The others don't have the same connections we would. You, the nemesis of the Jenova-tainted version of Sephiroth, have an emotional and mental connection to him. I, his biological father, have a physical connection to him. The others have been affected by him but not on a deep enough level to warrant the feeling." 

He walked towards Cloud and placed his human hand on his shoulder. "I plan to go to him. Will you join me?" 

Cloud let his eyes close and sighed. He didn't have to actually think about it, knew what his answer would be. There was never a chance that he wouldn't end up following that string until he found who was on the other end pulling him along. 

"When do we head out?" 

\---

Cloud wasn't expecting the trip to be as short as it was. The last place he expected to end up was the church- Aerith's church. Why would Sephiroth be calling them there, of all places? It made no sense. 

Vincent didn't seem like he expected it or not. He was as stone-faced as ever which was starting to piss Cloud off. Not that he expected the man to emote but with how much the whole situation was wrecking Cloud's emotions, he expected  _ something _ . 

Vincent hesitated outside the building. Any other time and Cloud might have made a joke about vampires and churches but now that he was right there, so close to the siren call's source, he hardly found himself in a joking mood. So he simply pushed open the door and strode in, hand on Tsurugi's hilt instinctually. 

He took about three steps before freezing. There, in the pool that replaced her flowers later on, was Aerith. Or a ghost of her, perhaps? She didn't seem real- physical. There was an ethereal glow around her shimmering form, as she seemed to lean over something and tend to whatever she was looking at. Cloud's breath caught in his throat and he took a hesitant step forward. 

The ghost-Aerith seemed to sense him then, and she turned around to smile at him. "Heya." 

Cloud let Tsurugi fall to the floor as he took large strides towards her. He didn't know if Vincent had followed him in or if he was still waiting outside, but he didn't care. He'd gladly look like a pining, desperate fool when Aerith was involved. 

The closer he came to her, though, the more her form wavered and grew faint. Once he was at the water's edge he hesitated, suddenly seeing the man behind her. Her smile turned sad as she turned back to face the body. "Take care of him, please. He's different, vulnerable. I've given him what I can and now the rest is up to him, and you. He'll need you, Cloud." 

Cloud reached out, tried to get words to leave his mouth, but nothing came. The second his foot hit the water she disappeared, leaving behind nothing but a tear in Cloud's eye. He angrily wiped at his face and entered the water fully, going to the person Aerith left behind. 

Sephiroth. He knew it was him. 

But…

It was different. He was different. 

The most shocking difference was his hair- now a dark earthy brown, a stark contrast to his previous bright silver. He seemed smaller, though only slightly. He still seemed like he'd dwarf Cloud easily. He was thinner though, less muscled and imposing. His face was softer and he hardly looked like the general he knew and grew up worshipping. He looked… like Aerith. Or at least like he could be her brother. 

As he looked over the naked form, he couldn't help but feel that she somehow used her own body to do this- if the similar appearance wasn't enough to lead to that reasoning, the single scar on his abdomen that matched the blade of masamune was irrefutable proof. Could the same man that killed her now take up residence in her newly altered body? He thought back to what Aerith said, about giving him what she could. He couldn't imagine how she'd managed to get her body from the Forgotten City and somehow morph it into a more Sephiroth-esque figure, but he could think of no other possibility. 

He sighed and leaned slightly to pick him up, carrying him out of the water with an arm under his knees and one under his shoulders. His stomach twisted as he remembered laying Aerith to rest in a similar fashion and quickened his pace. Vincent chose that moment to finally enter, eyes widening slightly at the sight before him. 

"Is that-"

"Yeah." 

Vincent came close and studied Sephiroth's face. "He looks like her. And, in a way, like Lucrecia. It is him though, without a doubt." Vincent paused and looked back up at Cloud. "How?" 

Cloud shrugged slightly, trying not to jostle the man in his arms. "Aerith. Didn't say much before she left either. Just… that I needed to take care of him." 

Vincent seemed lost in thought for a moment before pulling out his cellphone. "I'm going to try to obtain a car. It will be difficult to take him back on your motorcycle. And here," he shrugged off his cape and draped it over Sephiroth's nude form. "It is perhaps for the best that we don't walk into your home with a naked man, in case Marlene is awake and sees him." 

Cloud chuckled lightly. "I'm sure Barret will appreciate that." 

\---

It went about exactly as Cloud expected. First everyone was just confused. But when he told them who it was he held in his arms all hell broke loose. Weapons were aimed at the unconscious man and Barret started screaming all kinds of expletives. The fur on Nanaki's back stood straight up and a growl escaped his mouth. Tifa seemed to place herself between the stairs leading up to the kids rooms and them, fists raised in defense. Yuffie and Cid were the least of Cloud's concerns if he were being honest- he heard Cid cussing right alongside Barret but Yuffie had simply ducked behind the bar, more confused than angry or on defense. 

"Cloud… what's going on?" 

Tifa's voice was strained, clearly trying to stay calm but not wanting to let her guard down. It tugged at Cloud's chest. She had been personally affected by Sephiroth, and knowing he was somehow alive again was no doubt a bit… much. 

He shifted the man sleeping in his arms slightly, taking a breath before telling them about Aerith and the pull he'd felt recently. A flash of hurt ran through their eyes, but as soon as he mentioned Aerith they relaxed slightly. Vincent told them he suspected Aerith used her own body to form this new one for Sephiroth, explaining the strange appearance and resemblance to her. 

Nanaki was the first to take a tentative step towards them. He slowly approached them and closed his eyes and sniffed at Sephiroth before taking a step back. "It's… strange. I sense Sephiroth, but he smells like a Cetra- like Aerith." He looked up at Cloud. "They are speaking the truth. However we still don't know how much like the man we knew this version will be." 

Cloud nodded. "He's right. I feel like he won't be the same, this isn't even his body, I mean. It's not the mako-infused and Jenova-corrupted body he used to be in, so if he did lose it I could easily restrain him. But he may still be… unstable. Mentally, at least. And that's just as dangerous as physical strength."

Vincent took a step towards Cloud, placing his human hand on the blonde's shoulder. "We can theorize and worry as much as we want but it'll all be pointless until he wakes up and we know. I suggest dressing him and placing him in a bed, under watch until he awakes." 

Cloud looked around the room to judge everyones reactions once again, relieved to see that the aggression had all but disappeared and was replaced with tension. Tifa hesitated but stepped out of the way so Cloud could go up to his room with Sephiroth, eager to lay the man down and properly think about what had happened. 

\---

Cloud had a dream that night. 

He was at the church, but it looked the same as it had the first time he'd been there, with flowers in place of the pool of water that replaced them. Aerith was tending to them and giggling at something Zack was saying- it seemed so normal and real to see his old friend leaning against a pew and casually flirting with his girlfriend. It almost made Cloud tear up, and he cursed the world for not letting the two live and have this. 

Aerith suddenly perked up and turned to the entrance to wave at Cloud. "Oh, Cloud! We were wondering when you'd get here." She wiped dirt off on her dress and grabbed Zack's hand to gently squeeze it as she passed him on her way to Cloud. She lifted her hands to Cloud's face and patted his cheeks. "I'm sure you have questions, huh?" 

He nodded. Cloud's face heated slightly under her touch. He had long since gotten over the feelings he thought he had for her when he still thought he had lived Zack's life, but it was almost embarrassing to remember. It made Aerith laugh and Zack snicker. 

His friend made his way over and slung an arm around his shoulder. "Oh I missed ya, kid. So easy to get all flustered!" He ruffled the blonde's hair and stepped back. "Wish we could keep you here forever but you gotta job to do now." 

Aerith's smile turned a bit sad and she nodded. "Right. Well… I'm sure you know who it was I brought to the church, yeah?" 

"Sephiroth." 

"Uh huh. But he won't be the same anymore. I gave him my body so he wouldn't be sent back to his. It's… difficult to explain but it was the only safe way for him to return. If he went back to his then he'd be able to cause problems again. It was really the only option I had." 

Cloud frowned and crossed his arms. "Why send him back at all though? What's the point? Besides, if… if people can be sent back why couldn't you come back? Or Zack? Why him?" 

Aerith seemed deep in thought for a moment, as if she were mulling over in her head how to explain it. Zack placed a hand on her shoulder and she visibly relaxed and her smile returned. "I thought about it, Cloud, really. I desperately wanted to return to you all. But… there's too much to do here. The planet hurts and needs to heal, and I can do more from here in the lifestream than out." 

Zack suddenly grabbed Aerith by the waist and swung her around. "And I'm kinda like her knight in shining armor! Can't leave my princess all alone to work all day and never take a rest, y'know?" He cut off Aerith's childish giggles with a soft kiss. "I don't think I could ever forgive myself if I left her. I wish I could come back but… my place is next to her." 

Cloud felt tears fall but tried to ignore them. He looked away from the two, trying to not be as hurt as it felt to hear them say they'd rather be here than with him. "Doesn't explain why he had to come back at all." 

They sobered up a bit again and nodded. Aerith said, "I know it's hard but he deserves a chance at a normal life. He really wasn't a bad person, just… hurt so badly it made him weak, and then manipulated by a monster." 

Zack nodded in agreement. "He was pretty great, Cloud. Trust me, when Gen and Angeal were still around he was a completely different person. He made jokes, Cloud-  _ jokes _ ." He laughed and seemed lost in memories for a moment. "Hojo and Jenova went and fucked it all up. He's my friend and I want to see him happy for once." 

Aerith leaned into Zack's side. "I never knew him but listening to Zack talk about him and seeing some of the things he went through in his memories…" she winced. "No one comes out of that okay. I think he deserves a second chance." 

Cloud only had a moment to think on that before the world around him seemed to waver. Aerith sighed and stomped her foot slightly. "There's never enough time." She came back to grab one of Cloud's hands with her own. "Cloud, I don't know what being in my body will do. Even though I put him in there I have no clue what effect it will have on his abilities or memories. I don't even know if a human in a Cetra's body will be more human or Cetra. He's going to struggle and I need you to stay by his side." 

Zack and Aerith's forms started to flicker now. Aerith turned her gaze to her love, a silent question of whether he had anything to add or not. A little smile slipped onto his face and he leaned close to Cloud. "Play with his hair and he'll practically melt in your hands. Gen drove him absolutely insane doin' it to him during important meetings, and during arguments and shit." 

He burst out laughing at Cloud's very visible confusion. The last thing Cloud saw before waking up was Aerith yelling "Zack!" and smacking him on his chest, but she was clearly laughing, too. 

\---

Cloud jolted awake, forgetting where he was for a moment, before remembering what happened. More importantly, he remembered the visit from his old friends in the dream. He stood up from the chair he'd dozed off in, positioned across the bed Sephiroth slept in. He leaned slightly toward the man's face, looking over the features that were a mix between Sephiroth and Aerith. 

Honestly, Cloud couldn't have dreamed up a more beautiful being. He'd come to terms with finding his childhood hero hot years ago, and regardless of the mess that was Zack's memories temporarily residing in him, he thought Aerith was beautiful, too. This figure had it all- smooth, nearly perfect skin, save the one scar. Sephiroth's long silky hair with Aerith's warm earthy brown tone. He was clearly still strong, with more muscle definition than Aerith ever had, but there was an almost feminine smoothness to his body now. He hardly looked fragile but he wasn't as intimidating anymore. 

The only thing he'd yet to see was Sephiroth's eyes. For some reason, that was the most nerve wracking part- would they be closer to the emerald green of Aerith's? The bright mako-tinted green of Sephiroth? And on top of that would they have normal pupils or the cat-like slits that made Sephiroth seem truly inhuman?

Before he realized what he was doing, he brought a hand up to Sephiroth's face, gently brushing his thumb across the man's cheekbone. His fingers trailed down to the brown locks that spread across the bed and he couldn't help himself- Zack's words echoed in his head and he felt compelled to run his fingers through Sephiroth's hair. 

Before he had the chance to do so, Sephiroth's eyes- bright green, human eyes- opened and Cloud froze. The blonde's eyes widened as he felt a hand grip his wrist. 

"Where am I?" Sephiroth's voice sounded rough, like he hadn't had anything to drink in weeks. "What happened?" 

Cloud swallowed down a bit of nervousness and cleared his throat. "I live here. And… you were brought back to life, I guess." 

Sephiroth closed his eyes again for a moment. "Back to life… interesting." His brows furrowed and he looked back at Cloud. "Why did you not kill me upon my return?" 

Cloud… didn't know how to respond to that. "Don't know. Can you let go of me now?" He twisted his wrist a bit and Sephiroth released his grip. "Everyone else wanted to kill you. It… didn't seem right though. Aerith wouldn't have sent you back if we were just supposed to kill you." 

Sephiroth studied Cloud's face for what felt like an eternity before his entire body seemed to relax. "I believe… I require more rest, Cloud Strife." 

Cloud nodded and stepped back. "Fine. I'll be here." He turned around to the chair and sat back down, picking up the book on engineering he'd originally brought in with him, flipping back to the page he'd dog-eared. 

Sephiroth watched him sit with the book, still curious about Strife's actions towards him. He fell asleep wondering what this new life was going to do to torture him that his past already had not. 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again thanks to mewhoismyself on tumblr (Seer_of_Soul on here!) For helping me out w this! A bit shorter than the first chapter but I cant promise chapter lengths will always be consistent oops.

Sephiroth laid on the bed (which was too small- his feet were hanging off the end which was damn uncomfortable but he didn't care enough to move) and stared at the ceiling while he listened to the argument taking place below him. It made his blood boil to have someone defend him- especially _Cloud Strife_. If anyone knew how important it would be to snuff out his existence, Strife would be that man. How many times had they fought, had Strife killed him? 

Too many. 

He still didn't understand why he was being allowed to live, and if he were being entirely honest, he'd rather kill himself and get it over with. There were too many warring feelings clashing inside himself, and it was nauseating. If death meant the end to that, he'd welcome it with open arms. 

He wanted to kill everyone he could hear, yet the thought of spilling an innocent's blood made him ill. He wanted to burn down the entire building that was his prison, but he felt _worried_ for those that would suffer from it. He wanted to continue his quest to sail the cosmos on this wretched planet, but he couldn't bear the thought of the level of harm it would cause the planet. 

Disgusting.

He had drifted off and stopped paying attention to the yelling, so it was startling when he heard the door to the tiny room he was stuck in slammed hard enough to make the lamp on the side table shake. He startled slightly and shifted his gaze to the fuming blonde facing away from him, fist against the wall as if he was debating whether or not to punch it. The tightly coiled and dense muscles in his arms and back visibly shook from the amount of effort it was taking to not lash out. 

Sephiroth sat up slowly, trying not to wince at how stiff his body felt. "Why do you put this strain on your relationships? What makes you believe I'm worth that?" 

Cloud let out an angry sigh and ran a hand through his hair. He turned around and glared at Sephiroth. "Aerith did this and I know she has a reason for it. Zack said you _were_ a good person before shit hit the fan, so I want to give you the benefit of the doubt." He sighed again and sat down heavily in the chair. "I'm doing this for them." 

Sephiroth nodded as he took that in. "Zack… Do you mean Zackary Fair?" 

Cloud nodded and rubbed at his eyes. "Yep. The one and only." 

"Hmm…" Well, that certainly took Sephiroth by surprise. He never would've guessed the puppy would put in a good word for him, after the Nibelheim incident. "I don't know whether to thank them or not." 

Cloud scoffed. "You're not alone there." 

There was a long, silent moment before Sephiroth cleared his throat. "Am I to be released from my prison cell in the near future? Or am I trapped in this room until I die again?" 

Sephiroth hated to admit it, but there was some deep instinct to get out. Not… to escape, really, just to be outside. Wants and urges were a foreign concept to him and he figured he had this body to blame for their sudden appearances. 

Cloud tensed up again. "I don't… think that's a great idea. Not right now at least." He sighed. "Tifa would kick my ass if I let you go anywhere else that wasn't the bathroom. I'm trying to calm her down but she's… not happy." 

"I don't blame her." 

"Well…" Cloud was quiet for a moment while he thought. "Let me talk to her about it. See if I can't figure out some way to get you out for a while. You look miserable in here." 

Sephiroth would've taken offense to that if he didn't know it was the truth. He just nodded and looked Cloud in the eyes. "I appreciate it, regardless of the outcome." 

Cloud seemed to have trouble accepting thanks. His face flushed slightly and he coughed before standing up and turning around. "Whatever. I'm doing it for Zack and Aerith, not you." He opened the door and left quickly, leaving Sephiroth alone again. 

\---

Cloud stomped down the stairs, groaning at how flustered Sephiroth's gaze made him. He marched over to Tifa, who was angrily washing glasses behind the bar, and crossed his arms. "Talk to him. Just talk to him and you'll see he's different. He doesn't want to destroy the world or kill everyone or any shit like that. He just wants to go outside for fuck's sake." 

Tifa slammed the cup on the bar and whirled around to glare at him. "You don't know that, Cloud! It could be a trap, he could be manipulating you again! Why don't you see that?" She leaned against the bar and put her head in her hands. "Cloud, I know you said Aerith is the one who did this but I… I don't know what to think. I don't want to doubt her or call her crazy, but she didn't… didn't really…" 

Cloud felt a twinge of sympathy hit him. "I know. She didn't suffer the way you did. But Tif… You have to give him a chance. For Aerith. For me." 

Tifa sighed and sunk lower, her head now resting on her arms as they slid down on the bar top. "Cloud…" 

"You can make rules. We can take him out in handcuffs. We can be armed and ready to fight if it is a ruse- which I'm pretty sure it isn't. I'm not saying we kick him out the door on his own and hope things go well. We'll take it one step at a time." 

Tifa was quiet for a minute, clearly giving it thought. Cloud watched her and couldn't help but wonder why he was so damned determined to make her agree to this. 

"... Okay." 

Cloud's eyes widened and his arms dropped to his sides. "Really? You're actually okay with it?" 

"Ugh," Tifa moaned. "It's hard to say no to you, you jerk. But trust me when I say I will beat your ass if anything goes even slightly wrong, Cloud." 

Cloud smiled and reached out to put a hand on Tifa's shoulder. "Thanks, Tif." 

She pushed the hand off and turned back to washing dishes, but with slightly less aggression than before. "Yeah, yeah, whatever." 

Cloud let out a relieved sigh. He walked around to the other side of the counter and kissed the top of Tifa's head, smiling into her hair. "I'll tell him the good news then." He patted her shoulder as he headed back up to Sephiroth. 

He hesitated outside the door, suddenly realizing he might have lied about the whole "doing it for Zack and Aerith" thing, because he was way too relieved and happy for it just to be about that. Before he could _really_ start to think too much on it, he frowned and shook his head as he opened the door. 

Sephiroth had shifted on the bed, now staring out the window, eyes half closed and with a slight smile on his face. The sun was still high enough in the sky that the light hit Sephiroth's face and the heat left his face tinged pink. He looked… radiant. It reminded Cloud of the times he caught Aerith lost in her own thoughts, oblivious to the world around her. Those moments, in the beginning, were part of what drew him to her. Part of what made him start to fall for her. Maybe-

_No._

_Ugh_ , something was wrong with Cloud. What the hell was he thinking? 

He cleared his throat, trying to ignore the heat on his cheeks. "Good news, your request to play outside- with adult supervision, of course- has been approved." 

Sephiroth's smile immediately turned to a frown. He shifted his gaze to glare at the blonde. "I'm not a child, Strife. I don't _play_ outside or need _adult supervision_." 

Ah, there we go. Cloud felt much better, that was a very _not_ Aerith mannerism. 

Cloud shrugged. "Whatever, point is Tifa's okay with you leaving the room but you'll have to be with us. Can't exactly let a mass murderer go and fuck around on his own."

Sephiroth nodded. "Very well." He stood up, looking back to the window for a moment before facing Cloud again. "Is now a good time?" 

"Uh, we can ask Tifa. She was taking her frustration out by aggressively cleaning the bar but we might be able to convince her to put that on hold." Cloud looked Sephiroth over. "We might find you something to wear other than my sleep pants though. Not exactly appropriate outside clothes." 

He watched Sephiroth glance down at the too short pants and scowl. "Thank you for reminding me of the inadequate dress." 

Cloud bit back a laugh and went to his closet, rifling through his admittedly slim selection of black articles of clothing. "You are closer to my size now, but anything I have is going to be too short," he said as he pulled out a shirt that was a little big on him. "Maybe the sleep pants are fine and we can just put a shirt on you, not like you're going anywh- _what the fuck_?" 

Cloud turned around to a _very naked_ Sephiroth and his brain short-circuited. "You- put- fuck, put the fucking pants back on!" His voice jumped a couple octaves as he quickly turned back around, cursing his fair complexion because he was red as _fuck_. 

"I… apologize? I was under the impression that I was changing clothes." Cloud could somehow hear the confused voice despite the blood roaring in his ears. "You act as though you've never seen another man nude before. Surely you didn't act this way in the military." 

Cloud's jaw clenched and he forced himself to relax. "That was- different. Showering with the others was _fine_ because I expected to see people with their dicks out. Picking you up from the church was different, too, before you ask. I was a bit too distracted to give a shit about you being naked.

"Come downstairs when you're done." He quickly threw the shirt at Sephiroth and left the room before there was a chance of seeing… more of him, again. 

He practically flew down the stairs and heavily dropped onto a bar stool, slamming his face against the cool bar top. Tifa was still behind the bar and was startled by Cloud's behavior. "Um, everything alright, Cloud?" 

He groaned and sort of shook his head, movement somewhat limited from his current position. 

She laughed and reached across the bar to pat his head. "You're fine you big baby, tell me what's up." 

He sighed and pushed himself up. "He's fucking hot Tif. He always was but he looks so much like Aerith now that it made him hotter." He shook his head and rubbed at his eyes. "I know he's evil and shit but that doesn't stop him from being attractive." 

Tifa crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow. "Cloud Strife, are you telling me you're _attracted_ to Sephiroth? Do I need to remind you what he's done? To you, to me, to _Aerith_?" 

He growled and glared at her. "Of _course_ I remember what happened. I'm not an idiot, Tifa. I'm not saying I'm fucking in love with him, just that he's hot and I can't stand it." 

Tifa's eyes narrowed. "You're saying the mass murder and attempt to destroy the planet isn't enough to make him look less attractive? I-" Tifa's words were cut off when they heard footsteps coming down the stairs. She frowned as Sephiroth came into view and looked back at Cloud. "Be smart, Cloud. I will take drastic measures if anything happens." 

Cloud stood from the stool and turned away from her. "Whatever." He shook his head. "Are you coming, Tifa?" 

She sighed. "Yeah, yeah. One second." 

Cloud gestured at Sephiroth to follow him and he walked through the door to the bar without looking to see if he followed. 

Once outside he took a deep breath and leaned against the side of the building. He needed to compose himself before he had to deal with Sephiroth again. He _knew_ Tifa was right, knew that he shouldn't find Sephiroth even slightly attractive because his actions should be enough to make him very _un_ attractive. 

But it was hard to compare this Sephiroth to _that_ Sephiroth. This one was quiet and had yet to do anything malicious, though to be fair he'd only been there about a week now so Cloud supposed there was still time for that to change. This Sephiroth also looked pretty different, and it made it easy to forget who he used to be. 

He didn't look in this Sephiroth's eyes and see the crazed mania, the slaughter of unknown amounts of innocents, a village burned to the ground. He didn't see the psychopath that killed his friend and love, that tried to end all life, to destroy the planet. 

He just saw… a man who was lost and confused. 

And Cloud could not bring himself to hate him for that.


End file.
